


The Doctor's Promise

by EradiKate



Series: Someone to Watch Over Her [2]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Gen, Non-Pathfinder Ryder, Not a romance, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 09:53:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13051617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EradiKate/pseuds/EradiKate
Summary: Harry Carlyle fulfills a promise to his old friend.





	The Doctor's Promise

People trusted Harry Carlyle with secrets.  He suspected it had something to do with the prematurely gray hair, or it may have been the quietly reassuring quality of his voice.  Being a doctor probably factored in as well.  Whatever the reason, Harry found himself the confidante of many aboard the Hyperion during his first few weeks in Andromeda.

 

He knew that Dr. T’Perro harbored a soft spot for Vetra Nyx, for example.  That Nozomi Dunn longed to feel grass under her feet, and spent every spare moment she could in hydroponics as a result.  He knew that his medtech had nightmares about being back in stasis, and never waking up.  With the future of the Andromeda Initiative in doubt, everyone had worries, and Harry heard them all.

 

But before any of that came to pass, he’d known that Alec Ryder, the rigidly correct human Pathfinder, had smuggled a little extra cargo on board before leaving the Milky Way.  He knew that Alec would have done anything for his children, including breaking Initiative guidelines.  Harry had been glad to help hide Scott’s chess set and Sara’s violin, though he had had doubts about either item surviving the journey.

 

After the shock of Sara’s pod malfunction, Alec’s death, and Scott’s near miss, it had been a relief to find that both souvenirs were intact.  When Scott had left with the Tempest, Harry had conspired with Lexi to ensure Scott found the gift from Alec waiting in his quarters.  If Scott asked, Harry would tell him, but he didn't want to claim credit for Alec's last gift to his children.

 

Sara’s violin, however, remained in his office.  Harry had promised to keep it safe, and Alec’s passing did nothing to change that.  But weeks went by, and Sara showed no sign of waking.  He still dusted it, but he began to wonder if she’d ever pick it up again.  If he was foolish to have stayed behind to care for her.

 

It didn’t stop him from sitting next to her bed every evening as he filled out reports.  It didn’t stop him from playing Vivaldi’s concertos in the med bay in hopes that she’d recognize her favorite composer.  It didn’t stop him from lecturing Scott when he’d connected his SAM implant to hers and told her the grim truth about Andromeda.  Harry had wanted to protect her as long as possible, but Scott wouldn’t hear it.  Sara needed to know, he’d insisted, and Harry had yielded.  Scott was, after all, Sara’s only living relative.  He had the final say.

 

Weeks turned to months, and Harry was clinging to the last rags of hope.  The Ryders were a stubborn bunch, but it had been so long with no change in her condition that even Scott began to doubt.  When Harry noticed an increase in her heart rate and brain activity, he was certain he was mistaken.  For a moment, he thought he’d dreamed the spike, but then he heard a medtech calling for him.

 

Sara’s eyes were open.  She was trying to speak.

 

Harry almost dropped his datapad in his rush to be by her side.  She was weak and pale, and her voice was was just a whisper.  But her eyes found his and he knew, in that second, he’d made the right choice.

“Welcome to Andromeda, Sara.”


End file.
